[News] American Airlines flight from Wichita Kansas to Reagan National Airport has crashed into the Potomac River

[Albion my Albion]

It appears the commercial flight collided with a Blackhawk military helicopter when the American Airlines airplane was approaching a runway at DCA (Reagan National Airport) attempting to land.

(click on MSN)​

MSN

Karoline Leavitt on crash: It appears a military helicopter collided with a regional jet​

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/plane-crash-dca-potomac-washington-dc-01-29-25/index.html

Live updates: American Eagle jet crashes into Potomac River after collision with Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport

The latest news and live updates on the plane crash into the Potomac River.

www.nbcnews.com

What we know​

• A regional jet collided midair with a helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
• One or both of the aircraft may be in the Potomac River, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
• A search-and-rescue operation is underway on the river, officials said.
• American Eagle Flight 5342, which was coming from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crewmembers, American Airlines said in a statement.
• The Army confirmed that the aircraft involved in the incident was a Black Hawk helicopter. An Army official said preliminary indications are that three people were on board.

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[Bozza]

 

[Gabbafella]

The "CA" above each aircraft represents a collision alert, surely both were told to adjust their course by air traffic control?
And why was a military aircraft crossing the flight path of a commercial airliner so close to an airport anyway?

 

[Hugo Rune]

This potential accident looked more than avoidable. Something has gone very badly wrong. Perhaps communications with one of the aircraft was not working.

Incredibly sad for those involved and their families.

 

[Mr Phil]

This potential accident looked more than avoidable. Something has gone very badly wrong. Perhaps communications with one of the aircraft was not working.

Incredibly sad for those involved and their families.

surely they should both be told to adjust course in this scenario, in which case only one would need working comms.

Very sad, very avoidable it would seem

 

[Bozza]

The helicopter seems to fly up into the passenger jet.

For most of the video, it's at 200 feet- which would have been fine - but ti climbs to 300 feet as the jet descends to the same altitude.

 

[mikeyjh]

This potential accident looked more than avoidable. Something has gone very badly wrong. Perhaps communications with one of the aircraft was not working.

Incredibly sad for those involved and their families.

It's very strange - The cats woke me up so I was browsing in the middle of the night, ATC were talking to the helo pilot who could see the jet and was told to cross behind it. The radar above doesn't ring true, the video of the collision is pretty clear that the helo is approaching from about 90 degree and the runway lines on there are too close, imo.

 

[Man of Harveys]

What a shocker, just horrific. As an aviation-obsessed kid, growing up in the 70s and 80s these horrible accidents used to happen so much more frequently (as did hijackings). The relative rarity of them now makes them hit home all the harder.

 

[mikeyjh]

Trump has forgotten he's now president:-
"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport," Trump wrote.

"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing.

"Why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.

"This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"

 

[Albion my Albion]

It has been reported that members of the US Figure Skating Team were on board the American Airlines 5342 flight that crashed and landed in the Potomac River after competing in a competition in Wichita.

https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article299420529.html

MSN

(click on MSN)

World champions were onboard American Airlines plane in Washington crash as first victims revealed​

Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are the first names to come out of those on board the flight which crashed into a US Army helicopter carrying three soldiers on Wednesday night. State-run Russian news agency TASS reported the two - who were married - had been on the flight.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/renowned-russian-figure-skating-couple-were-board-us-plane-that-crashed-tass-2025-01-30/

Russian skating couple, world champions in 1990s, were on crashed US plane, TASS reports​

 

[junior]

I wonder if Trump is suggesting the helicopter was flown into the airplane on purpose?

 

[A1X]

I like how he says the video was sent anonymously and then tags the person who sent it

 

[Gazwag]

They said the helicopter was on a training flight which could have bearing on the accident if the rookie pilot was too inexperienced and made the wrong move or panicked when all the alarms went off

 

[Guinness Boy]

I like how he says the video was sent anonymously and then tags the person who sent it

It was sent anonymously to the guy who was tagged who passed it on. The guy who was tagged has now deactivated his account.

 

[cirC]

If you want technical info to the crash look at Juan Browne utube channel.

 

[RandyWanger]

Thoughts and prayers

 

[Chicken Run]

They said the helicopter was on a training flight which could have bearing on the accident if the rookie pilot was too inexperienced and made the wrong move or panicked when all the alarms went off

Fair point but the person to the left of the pilot would have been experienced and would very quickly take control

 

[RandyWanger]

Might need to stay away from X, lots of 'experts' out there. One thing did catch my eye though if you go down a rabbit hole of conspiracies:

"Safe, Reliable, and Uninhabited: Autonomous BLACK HAWK® Helicopter"

 

[Chicken Run]

What a shocker, just horrific. As an aviation-obsessed kid, growing up in the 70s and 80s these horrible accidents used to happen so much more frequently (as did hijackings). The relative rarity of them now makes them hit home all the harder.

Agreed, it seems a long time since there was a Western Airline major crash with serious loss of life

 

[Chicken Run]

Might need to stay away from X, lots of 'experts' out there. One thing did catch my eye though if you go down a rabbit hole of conspiracies:

"Safe, Reliable, and Uninhabited: Autonomous BLACK HAWK® Helicopter"

I don’t know what that means Randy?